Comments on: Firefox: The Best Worst Browser Ever! http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/ A blog on technical stuff by Steven Fisher. Cat pictures not included. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:21:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Steven Fisher http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-48 Steven Fisher Mon, 19 Dec 2005 23:14:47 +0000 http://objectsatrest.com/?p=69#comment-48 Sorry, I was a bit ambiguous: that’s how <em>Firefox</em> works on other platforms. Sorry, I was a bit ambiguous:

that’s how Firefox works on other platforms.

]]> By: Steven Fisher http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-47 Steven Fisher Mon, 19 Dec 2005 23:14:02 +0000 http://objectsatrest.com/?p=69#comment-47 Sure, it works. But the point is that they've made behavior that works everywhere else not work in Firefox, and have justified it in the defect report with "that's how it works on other platforms." As long as they insist on imposing one platform's standards over that platform's native standards, they're going to have people who hate the result. Firefox is a pretty good browser on Windows, but for Mac users who care about having applications behave in a Mac way, it's just awful. And the developers <em>will not fix it</em>. Sure, it works. But the point is that they’ve made behavior that works everywhere else not work in Firefox, and have justified it in the defect report with “that’s how it works on other platforms.”

As long as they insist on imposing one platform’s standards over that platform’s native standards, they’re going to have people who hate the result.

Firefox is a pretty good browser on Windows, but for Mac users who care about having applications behave in a Mac way, it’s just awful. And the developers will not fix it.

]]> By: GH http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-46 GH Mon, 19 Dec 2005 23:06:01 +0000 http://objectsatrest.com/?p=69#comment-46 Firefox developers chose the option key as the modifier. While, apparently, not intuitive to Mac users of other browsers, it still works. It may have come out of a Jolt cola all nighter coding session where the programmers came to the concusion that "it's an option to tab browse this URL, not a command to do so". If you want to complain about Mac Forefox, try Dilbert.com which works for every other Gecko browser I have: Camino, Netscape, and Safari ( at least I think Safari is Gecko based ). Firefox developers chose the option key as the modifier. While, apparently, not intuitive to Mac users of other browsers, it still works.
It may have come out of a Jolt cola all nighter coding session where the programmers came to the concusion that “it’s an option to tab browse this URL, not a command to do so”.
If you want to complain about Mac Forefox, try Dilbert.com which works for every other Gecko browser I have: Camino, Netscape, and Safari ( at least I think Safari is Gecko based ).

]]> By: Steven Fisher http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Steven Fisher Sun, 04 Dec 2005 07:33:50 +0000 http://objectsatrest.com/?p=69#comment-45 I'm glad you recognize that. It's been a concern on my mind for some time. :) I’m glad you recognize that. It’s been a concern on my mind for some time. :)

]]> By: mx http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-44 mx Sat, 03 Dec 2005 22:40:43 +0000 http://objectsatrest.com/?p=69#comment-44 While I like Firefox in general, the stupidity of the cross-platform UI layer is still obvious. It's taken them more than 8 years to get the damn thing stable (and marginally useful), mostly a function of the incredible complexity in making cross-platform UI stuff work at all. And then it's not really native on any platform. The amount of work in wrapping the gecko engine in a UI-specific layer seems small enough, based on time I spent in Linux/Win32 specific wrappers. What's with the obsession over cross-platform UI?! Both Galeon and Epiphany (Gnome-wrapped Gecko variants) are great browsers, conforming to the platform they live on. I fear cross-platform UIs is one of those utopias that every developer is doomed to believe in at some point in their thinking. Not that I know any companies suffering from the exact same problem. While I like Firefox in general, the stupidity of the cross-platform UI layer is still obvious. It’s taken them more than 8 years to get the damn thing stable (and marginally useful), mostly a function of the incredible complexity in making cross-platform UI stuff work at all. And then it’s not really native on any platform.

The amount of work in wrapping the gecko engine in a UI-specific layer seems small enough, based on time I spent in Linux/Win32 specific wrappers. What’s with the obsession over cross-platform UI?! Both Galeon and Epiphany (Gnome-wrapped Gecko variants) are great browsers, conforming to the platform they live on.

I fear cross-platform UIs is one of those utopias that every developer is doomed to believe in at some point in their thinking. Not that I know any companies suffering from the exact same problem.

]]> By: M.e. http://tewha.net/2005/12/firefox-the-best-worst-browser-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-43 M.e. Fri, 02 Dec 2005 21:46:41 +0000 http://objectsatrest.com/?p=69#comment-43 I hadn’t noticed that one. Ouch! My intent with this article was primarily to address the features Mozilla highlights on their Firefox web page. I may have to write a sequel. Thanks for the link! I hadn’t noticed that one. Ouch! My intent with this article was primarily to address the features Mozilla highlights on their Firefox web page. I may have to write a sequel.

Thanks for the link!

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